Rules for cattle relaxed in the new Bluetongue rules
Cattle moving from England into Wales WILL be permitted if they are vaccinated for bluetongue, the Welsh Government says - but sheep must still be tested before crossing the border.
In a new announcement on Friday, the Welsh Government confirmed it will allow cattle fully vaccinated with Boehringer Ingelheim's Bultavo-3 vaccine, to move under licence, from a Restricted Zone to Wales without a pre-movement test – however this will not apply to sheep.
There has been outrage amongst Powys farmers about rules being brought in from July 1 which would mean that any sheep that crossed the Welsh border would require a test for the bluetongue virus.
Tests for Bluetongue cost anywhere from £40-£70 per animal meaning some farmers would be faced with bills of tens of thousands to move livestock across the border for grazing or for going to market.
The Welsh Government confirmed that 'all sheep must be pre-movement tested and require an accompanying licence to move into Wales to live from the Restricted Zone (RZ) in England, as no vaccine products currently meet the requirements for protecting sheep from BTV-3 to allow them to move out of the RZ.'
Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: 'My goal at this stage remains to keep Bluetongue out of Wales for the benefit of our animals and those who keep them.
'The economic and farmer wellbeing concerns caused by dealing with severe Bluetongue are first and foremost in my mind.
"I also want to allow more time to observe the severity of the disease in England, and for keepers to vaccinate their herds and flocks.
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'I have made clear the thinking behind my decision in the Senedd this week, but I want to keep it under review. Should the evidence change, and we need to alter the policy, we will revisit and review this in a dynamic way.
'Our shared priority over the coming weeks is to promote vaccine take-up. All representatives at the Roundtable I recently convened were unanimous in their support for vaccination as the best method of protecting livestock and reducing the impacts of Bluetongue."
'I cannot in all conscience invite Bluetongue into Wales, but we are prepared to adapt to the evolving disease situation.'
In the announcement, the Welsh Government also confirmed that as a response to increased risk of Bluetongue, including 'temperatures that are consistent with the active transmission period,' these measures will come into force as of today (June 20) in relation to the current Restricted Zone in England, which covers the east of England.
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